Chris Kennedy: Candidate Profile

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Note: Answers provided have not been edited for grammar, misspellings or typos. In some instances, candidate claims that could not be immediately verified have been omitted. Jump to:BioQA Bio City: ChicagoWebsite: www.kennedyforillinois.comTwitter: @KennedyforIlFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KennedyforIllinois/Office sought: Governor Age: 54Family: Shelia (wife) Kate, Chris, Jr., Claire, SarahOccupation: Chairman, Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises, Inc.Education: BA, Boston College MBA, NorthwesternCivic involvement: Chairman, University of Illinois Board of Trustees Founder, Top Box Foods Chairman, Chicago Food DepositoryElected offices held: NoneQuestions Answers What do you consider the key to an effective working relationship between the governor's office and legislative leaders? To what extent is this relationship effective now and to whatever extent it may not be effective, what would you do to improve it?My uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, would serve as my example. We can disagree but at the end of the day, we can all come together to find common ground to advance what's in the best interest of the state. Senator Kennedy would often disagree with his Republican colleagues in the US Senate but he always found a way to work with them. That's the approach I would bring as Governor. Even when I disagree with the legislature and members of my own party, I would seek common ground to find solutions that work for everyone. Compromise must not be seen as a sign of surrender. In Springfield, politicians are more interested in scoring points and fighting one another than solving problems. That needs to end.On budgeting, what should be done to ensure that the state does not again go through a period of time without a budget in place? What will you do as governor to ensure that the spending priorities you espouse during your campaign are reflected in the budget?I have pledged that if I don't balance the budget in my first term as Governor, I will not seek a second term. We must demand accountability by politicians in Springfield. As Governor, I will not permit a our state to lurch from one budget crisis to the next. We will work together to fund our shared priorities---public education, economic opportunity, health care for everyone, safe communities and a strong social safety net.How important do you consider the issues of term limits and legislative redistricting? Would you act to promote or oppose either of these initiatives?These are important reforms that Illinois must adopt. As Governor, I would promote term limits in the legislature and nonpartisan legislative redistricting. Voters should pick their representatives as opposed to politicians picking their voters.To what extent are you happy or unhappy with the evidence-based model for education funding now in place in Illinois? How would you define Ãâ#128;™adequateÃâ#128;œ state funding for Illinois schools and what will you do to promote that?I support an evidence-based model for funding our public schools. Currently, Illinois does not adequately fund our public schools. We are too reliant on local property taxes to fund the local schools. We need to rely on a progressive income tax to ensure that every child has an opportunity at a quality public education that prepares them for higher education or the workforce.What will you do to fix the public employee pension systems?As Governor, I will not sign a budget that does not fully fund our pension obligation. For years the state has missed pension payments, unlike our public employees and retirees who paid into their pensions every year. We must not take away pensions that have been earned by decades of work. The state must do more to make our pension payments more affordable including refinancing our debt, restructuring debt payments and borrowing to cover the ramp.What other issues, if any, are important to you as a candidate for this office?We must reform our broken property tax system that is hurting our public schools, endangering public safety, and allowing legalized corruption among our public officials. Until we stop allowing our politicians to personally profit from property tax system, we will never gain the faith of the Illinois citizens to make sacrifice to put our fiscal house in order, invest in public education, build an economy that works for everyone, and provide safer communities.Please name one current leader who most inspires you.Phil Jackson, who was the coach of the Chicago Bulls.ÃÅ#160; He worked with some of the greatest athletes, and he inspired them to work together.What is the biggest lesson you learned at home growing up?Humility.ÃÅ#160; I grew up in a big family.ÃÅ#160; It helped me learn that I wasn't the most important person in the world.If life gave you one do-over, what would you spend it on?I dropped a class in college. The class was called Introduction to Computer programming, and it was 1985.What was your favorite subject in school and how did it help you in later life?History. It allowed me to see the connections between the past and the present, and to see myself as part of a bigger whole.If you could give your children only one piece of advice, what would it be?Listen to your mother